Pad Thai Noodles with Shrimp - make it at home! Homemade delicious sauce is made with fish sauce, honey, tamarind paste (or lime juice), rice vinegar and red pepper flakes.
Shrimp Pad Thai is one of my most favorite Asian meals, along with Tom Ka Soup - Thai soup with coconut milk, red curry, lemon grass and Thai Red Curry Chicken. I've been making my own Pad Thai for the last 4 years now: it has become a staple meal at our house. We hardly even order Thai food take-outs any more.
What's nice about Shrimp Pad Thai is that it is so easy to make! Even the ingredient list is not very long or complex.
First, you prepare a sauce by simply combining together fish sauce, honey, tamarind paste (or lime juice), rice vinegar and red pepper flakes in a small saucepan on medium heat.
Next, you cook veggies in peanut oil, add eggs and scramble them, then cook shrimp. In the meantime the noodles are cooked according to package instructions. Then, you combine everything together: the sauce, veggies with eggs and shrimp, and rice noodles (or pasta)! Make sure the sauce coats the pasta, and that's basically it! Nothing complicated in making Shrimp Pad Thai! I did provide the detailed instructions below, but the whole preparation and cooking process should not take more than 30 or 40 minutes! Especially on the second or third try when you'll get the hang of it.
Shrimp Pad Thai
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons tamarind paste or lime juice
- ¼ cup fish sauce
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 3 tablespoons peanut oil
- 5 green onions , chopped
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup mung bean sprouts
- ½ pound shrimp , peeled and deveined
- 8 oz rice noodles or fettuccine pasta
- reserved pasta water
- ¾ cup roasted peanuts chopped
Instructions
- In a small pan, combine tamarind paste (or lime juice if you don’t have tamarind paste) with fish sauce, honey, and rice vinegar over medium heat until honey gets really soft and all ingredients are mixed. Mix in red pepper flakes.
- In a large skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of peanut oil over medium heat, add chopped green onions, garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add eggs and scramble them until just done. Add shrimp and bean sprouts – continue cooking for 1-2 minutes, just until shrimp turns red.
- In the mean time, cook pasta or noodles according to package instructions. Drain but do reserve a good amount of cooked pasta water.
- Add drained noodles to the large skillet with eggs mixture, on low heat. Also add the sauce from step 1 and ¼ cup of chopped toasted peanuts. Stir everything to combine well. Add a bit of cooked pasta water, if necessary, to make the sauce less thick and easier to coat the noodles.
- To serve, place ¼th of Pad Thai noodles on each plate. Top each serving with remaining chopped toasted peanuts.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Looks so flavourful and moreish! I can't wait to try it!
That is one beautiful plateful!! Will be making it soon. 🙂
Pad Thai is also one of my favorite Thai dishes and I often order it when we go out to our favorite Thai restaurant. There are quite many Thai people in Stockholm and there are also many Thai restaurant, we have found our favorite... but I would really like to try making it at home. Thanks for the recipe!
Ciao
Hello Julia 🙂
I love Asian flavours and this looks like a quick and easy evening meal which is fresh, light and the perfect antidote to stodgy cold-weather foods! Yum!
This looks fantastic and mouthwatering! So colourful!
Not only does this look absolutely delicious but the colors are so beautiful in it!
Pad Thai is one of my absolute favorite foods, but I have never, ever made my own. Will be trying your recipe for sure. It looks fabulous!
Yes please! I love pad thai.
Pad Thai is my favorite, I love spicy flavors, too. I also made a vegan fish sauce recipe if you're interested: http://veganmiam.com/recipes/vegan-fish-sauce
Oh, Julia...What a great plate awaiting for being devoured! Thai is one of my fav cuisines. I'd be so happy to eat these noodles!
Your pad thai looks wonderful! I really need to try making it. It sounds like a flavorful and healthy dinner.
I haven't made pad thai in what seems like years. I need to again - you've definitely inspired me! Good stuff - thanks.
Fabulous recipe and photos, Julia! Cannot wait to make this at home. Thanks for sharing!
Looks so fresh and delicious Julia~
Love dishes such as this one~
I really need to try making pad thai at home. It's the one thing we still order out for. I'm not sure why I have never tried making it - that really needs to change! Yours looks delicious!